Saturday Night, I feel the air is getting hot

Last night - or rather, early this morning - I went to bed in a different world than I had woken up. Not much different, but still more than my conscience would allow me to let go without ever commenting about it on my blog.

Fifteen years ago a boy came into this world, much like any other person does. He was raised not to believe everything he is fed from the media, he was raised to raise his voice and speak out his opinion, he was raised to be different and not one of the mass. I didn't know this boy, much like most of Greece, until last night, when a policeman saw fit to shoot him down like I would never allow a human being to shoot down a dog, and killed him for reasons that are left to be cleared out.

The two policemen - notice, I'm not saying "the police", since the Athens police chose to distance themselves from these two "men" who acted out the way they did - claim that they had no choice. The two policemen said they were driving down Harilaou Trikoupi (a street in Athens) answering a call, when about 30 masked men attacked their police car throwing sticks and stones at them. They left their vehicle, and one threw a noise-bomb at them. The other shot twice in the air and once in the ground. Somehow, one of these bullets found its way to the boy's chest. He was killed on the spot.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your bullets will surely kill me.

I have a couple of problems with this theory, and I will write them here.
a) I find it hard to believe that 30 15 to 20 year-old kids had nothing better to do on a saturday night that put their masks on. get their sticks and stones ready, meet up on Harilaou Trikoupi and wait there, in case a police car happens to pass, to attack it.
b) I find it hard to believe that the boy either lay on the ground underneath the policeman's gun, or flew up in the air, so that the bullet would hit him straight in the chest.
c) According to eye witnesses, the policemen drove by a dozen kids hanging out, drinking beers on the street. The kids yelled something at them, the policemen answered back, there was an exchanging of words, the kids threw their beer bottles at them, and one of the policemen fired right at them.
Bullets for beer bottles. Policemen with shit in their heads.

Since last night there have been riots all over the country. Leftists, anarchists and troublemakers are now out of control, burning Athens down, destroying stores, banks, cars, everything they come across. And this time, who can blame them?

I don't understand how some people think. I don't understand where they come off thinking they are God's greatest gift to this world after babies and sliced bread. I don't understand how they believe they have the right to raise a weapon and shoot a bullet against a boy, a man, a girl, a woman, an old man, a dog, a cat, a butterfly. I don't understand how they think that other people have no right to an opinion, to a different way of expression, to a different lifestyle than their own.
I don't understand how they can carry a weapon and not realize that they are supposed to use it to PROTECT that 15 year-old boy, not kill him. How they can clean that weapon in the morning and beg it NOT to shoot today. Beg it NEVER to be used. And not wake up and pray to God they have a chance to prove what "men" they are, by shoving bullets in a boy's heart.
I don't understand how these people decide to become judge and jury of a whole generation and seize an opportunity to start a crackdown on a Saturday night and with no provocation. I don't understand how they believe that to take a life is the right response to any "crime" they believe was committed.
Newsflash, "Mr. Judge": The death penalty has been abolished in Greece, but I guess you didn't take that class in Self Righteousness College, right?

In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" individuality should be hailed, not punished. In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" a 15 year-old kid should be allowed to be stupid, and make stupid mistakes, and pay for them the way he should pay for them, and not punished by death. In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" the people enforcing the law should be responsible and patient, not bullies and trigger-happy. In a country where not so long ago people gave away their lives to have this, so celebrated and sung for, Democracy restored, it is a downright disgrace that, this morning, I am watching people burn down stores and cars and all I can think of is "they are outraged, and today they have every right to be".

I am proud of our forefathers, for all they have accomplished and all they have done. But, the way things are going, I am afraid that my children and their children will not be able to say the same thing about us.
In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" today I am ashamed